Recipes: Coconut takes centre stage

Cherry Quinoa Salad

Photograph by: Pat Crocker
, HarperCollins

MONTREAL -- These recipes come from Coconut 24/7 (HarperCollins, 2013), by Pat Crocker. The final chapter includes recipes for body creams and lotions featuring coconut oil.

Coconut Caponata

Makes 3 cups

Caponata is a traditional Italian dish featuring eggplant, garlic and tomatoes and often served with antipasti or as a relish. Use it as an accompaniment for cooked meat, poultry and fish, as a sauce for cooked rice or pasta, or on toasted bread slices for a bruschetta with a Polynesian vibe.

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small eggplant, diced

3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 1/4 cups Coconut Gremolata (recipe follows)

1/2 cup chopped pitted black olives (optional)

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until eggplant begins to turn golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until eggplant is soft, the liquid from the tomatoes has been reduced and the mixture has thickened. Stir in gremolata and olives (if using) and heat through.

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Coconut Gremolata

Makes 1 cup

Gremolata is a savoury mixture of parsley and garlic that works well as a garnish for everything from meats to soup and vegetable dishes: Crocker has created a sweeter version by replacing the garlic with coconut. Use garlic if you’d like a savoury gremolata.

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds, chopped coarsely

1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes, fresh or dried

1 teaspoon sea salt

In a bowl, combine the ingredients and toss to mix well. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze for up to a month.

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Citrus Cabbage Salad with Orange Coconut Dressing

Makes 6 servings

A new twist on the classic Waldorf salad. The Orange Coconut Dressing makes this version come alive.

A subtle, creamy sauce that works well with raw and cooked fruits and vegetables. Because the oil in tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds, sometimes floats to the top of the jar, stir it well with a fork before adding it to the blender.

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 banana, cut into chunks

1 5.4-ounce can coconut cream

3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 tablespoon tahini

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend for 30 seconds or until creamy. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 days. Bring to room temperature and stir well before using.

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Sweet Potato Shrimp Cakes

Makes 8 to 10 3-inch cakes

Coconut is a fine match for seafood, Crocker writes, and the tart/sweet pineapple sauce completes the dish. Use lobster or crab in place of the shrimp, if you like.

2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked

1 cup cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons cocktail sauce or tomato sauce

1 large egg, beaten

1 5.4-ounce can coconut cream

2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, fresh or dried

1 cup coconut flour, or as needed

1/2 cup melted coconut oil or as needed

2 cups Sweet and Sour Pineapple Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add shrimp, basil, cocktail sauce, egg, cream and shredded coconut. Using your hands, work the mixture into a smooth batter. Sprinkle flour over the batter and knead into a soft dough, adding enough flour to make the dough thick enough to form into cakes. Using your hands, pat dough into 3-inch-round cakes, about an inch thick. Lightly dust both sides with flour and transfer to a plate.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add 3 to 4 cakes to the skillet and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until a golden crust forms. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining cakes, adding oil as required. Serve with pineapple sauce.

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Sweet & Sour Pineapple Sauce

Makes 2 cups

This simple yet versatile sauce works well with chicken, fish and vegetables — and the seafood cakes with which it’s paired here.

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 14-ounce can crushed pineapple and juices

1/2 cup coconut sugar crystals

1/4 cup coconut vinegar

1 ripe banana, mashed

Juice of 1 lime

In a pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in pineapple and juices, sugar crystals, vinegar, banana and lime juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid has reduced and sauce has thickened. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 days. Bring to room temperature and stir well before using.

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Strawberry Day Starter Smoothie

Makes 1 to 2 servings

Smoothies are a good vehicle for a hit of coconut oil, although if you’re new to the oil, start with 1 teaspoon and increase the amount gradually. This is Crocker’s spin on the California smoothie that started the smoothie craze: It features orange juice, banana and strawberries.

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup thick or strained plain yogurt

1 or 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil

1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen

1 orange, separated into segments

1 banana, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a blender, combine all the ingredients, secure lid and blend until smooth.

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Cherry Quinoa Salad

Makes 4 servings

The colour and sweet citrus flavour of dried cherries work well with the quinoa, coconut and pistachios in this salad, Crocker writes. If you can’t find them, use dried cranberries.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons coconut vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan, bring about 11/2 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until water has been completely absorbed and quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork, let stand for 5 minutes and transfer to a salad bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

Add onion mixture, cherries, pistachios and parsley to quinoa and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Mushroom Ragout with Quinoa

Makes 4 servings

This versatile ragout works with polenta or scrambled eggs for breakfast, on whole wheat toast for lunch and at dinner when teamed with quinoa and a steamed vegetable. Porcini mushrooms are earthy-tasting mushrooms, grown in North America and Europe and harvested in autumn. They are widely available dried and they’re great in soups, stews or grain dishes, including risotto. Use one variety of fresh mushrooms or a variety including cremini, oyster, shiitake, portobello or cèpes.

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms, about an ounce

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

1/4 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 cups cooked quinoa or Coconut Quinoa (recipe follows)

4 sprigs fresh thyme, for garnish, optional

In a bowl, cover the porcini mushrooms with boiling water and set aside to soak for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are rehydrated. Drain and reserve soaking water. (Strain it later, if you like, through a coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth, then store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months; use it in soup or stew recipes.) In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add fresh mushrooms, rehydrated mushrooms, onion and garlic and sauté for 8 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is thickened. Stir in wine and thyme leaves and cook until heated through. To serve, spoon over quinoa and garnish with fresh thyme leaves, if using.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, rinse quinoa under cool running water. In a pot, combine quinoa, milk, coconut water and oil. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the covered pot on the burner for 6 minutes. Stir in coconut and cherries, if using. Store quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

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Coconut Hand Lotion

Makes enough for about 24 applications

This lotion starts out thin and sets over time at room temperature, although it can be used right away. An application is about half a teaspoon.

3 tablespoons softened coconut oil

1 tablespoon almond oil

2 teaspoons glycerine

In a bowl, whisk together coconut oil and almond oil. Add glycerine and whisk for several minutes or until well blended. Transfer to a jar with a capacity of 1/3 cup as well as a lid, cap, label and store in a cool place.

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